Science For Kids: The Huff And Puff Challenge

“I will huff and I will puff, and I will blow your house in” said the wolf to the three little pigs. Attention all little scientists! In this simple science experiment, you can huff and puff all you want but you will find it hard to be able to blow a piece of paper. No? You think you’re up for the challenge? Get ready to huff and puff with all you got!

Name: Huff Puff Challenge

Concept: The power of air pressure

Materials required:

• An Empty Bottle
• Tissue paper

Procedure:

1. Take any empty bottle
2. Crumple a small piece of tissue paper and rest it loosely inside the mouth of the bottle
3. Place the bottle on its side horizontally
4. Now blow in with all your might
5. Try to make the ball of paper go INSIDE the bottle

Observation:

Try blowing hard or soft, but chances are that the paper ball will fly outside.

Conclusion:

It is very simple why this happens. Although we see that the bottle is “empty,” it’s actually full to the brim with AIR. (Remember: Air is invisible but takes up space and exerts force). So when we blow into the bottle, some of the inside air must come out. The escaping air brings the paper ball out with it.

Hope your little one enjoyed this simple challenge. You can also have fun science time with your family and friends with this experiment.

Gauri Parulkar is founder of Science Quotient, an activity lab where science is taught via fun and easy to learn experiments. She believes her effort of making science fun for children will help them develop a lifelong love for the subject. A strong advocate of STEM in education, she spends time gardening and drinking copious amounts of tea when she is not thinking of a new way of teaching kids about science.